Cameroon Closes Radio Station Critical Of President

Cameroon President Paul Biya (file photo)Authorities in Cameroon have closed a private FM radio station that hasbeen broadcasting illegally from the capital for several months. Thestation was highly critical of President Paul Biya.

Dementi FM began broadcasting about six months ago on a vacant frequency in the capital Yaounde.

OwnerGeorge Gilbert Baongla aired commentary and call-in shows highlycritical of the Biya government - similar to the content of his LeDementi newspaper which was closed last year.

CommunicationsMinister Issa Tchiroma Bakary says he ordered security forces to closeDementi FM not because of the content of its broadcasts. Bakary saysthere are many radio stations critical of the government, and most ofthem continue to operate under the government's policy of"administrative tolerance" even though they have not paid their$100,000 deposit for a broadcast license.

Bakary says thedifference with Dementi is that when they found no one broadcasting at90.5 FM they simply took the frequency for themselves unlike more than100 independent radio stations that have been properly assignedfrequencies by the Communications Ministry.

"Most of them haveat least the acknowledgement of the ministerial department," he said."We know of their existence because they have an authorization whichenables them to operate legally despite the fact that they have notpaid the due imposed by the law and regulations. But as far as Dementiis concerned, they discovered that there is a frequency which isavailable and they are operating. And this is completely wrong."

Bakarysays he will close other pirate radio stations in the coming days aspart of a campaign that he says is meant to clean up Cameroon's medialandscape.

Dementi's closure follows an August crackdown on SkyOne Radio for a program called "Le Tribunal" in which the radiopresenter conducted trials and passed judgement live on air.

TheBiya government says that program was inciting violence. Station ownerJoseph Angoula Angoula says he is in talks with the communicationsministry to pay his broadcast license deposit in installments. Theprogram "Le Tribunal" will be dropped.